Bayern Munich insider Christian Falk has confirmed that Arsenal ‘made an offer’ to the Bundesliga giants in January and has revealed a boost for the Gunners in their bid for one of their top summer targets.

Arsenal decided not to add to their ranks in January as they chase the quadruple, but were linked with late moves for midfielders following the long-term injury suffered by Mikel Merino.

Rumours were rife of a last-gasp bid to sign Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali, though his agent later insisted there was nothing to them, and it was also claimed that Arsenal made a play for Bayern star Leon Goretzka, who recently confirmed he would be leaving the German club at the end of his contract in the summer.

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Falk has now revealed in his Bayern Insidercolumnthat Arsenal did indeed ‘make an offer’ for Goretzka, who was ‘very interested’ in the move, though decided to honour his commitment to Bayern.

‘It is TRUE: Arsenal made an offer for Leon Goretzka shortly before the transfer deadline,’ Falk wrote.

‘This was a very interesting option for the German, but at this point, he’d already decided he wouldn’t move in the winter. When Atletico Madrid knocked at his door, he made an official statement on his Instagram account – as did Bayern Munich. It’s not the way of Goretzka to break his word at the last minute – even for Arsenal!

‘I think he has a good idea for the Premier League. He believes his playing style suits the English top-flight.

‘There’s still, also, the interest from Atletico Madrid, so plenty of options for the future. Italy is also an opportunity, with interest from Juventus, Milan, Napoli.

‘Arsenal, of course, would have been interesting for the midfielder, but the offer came too late on deadline day, which didn’t leave anyone enough time to react. What a pity for Arsenal and Goretzka!’

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Falk also offered Arsenal a boost in their chase of former Manchester City star Julian Alvarez, who’s thought to be keen on an exit from Atletico Madrid, by claiming that Bayern – also heavily tipped to be in the running for the striker – are ‘not going to push for’ his signing.

‘He’s an interesting player, but when I spoke with some guys from Bayern, they said they didn’t need these rumours at the moment – they wanted a quiet transfer window,’ Falk added.

‘So they won’t go for him at the moment. They’d love to have a player like him in the team, but with a contract until 2030, it’s a no-go.

‘They did try to sign him in 2023, around the time Harry Kane signed; they were thinking about another striker and whether having the Englishman alone was enough. But, at the moment, it’s not a move they’re going to push for.’